Condenser-apron lubricator



T. ASTBURY.

CONDENSER APRON LQBRICATOR. APPLICATION FILED }U'NE3..1921.

Patented May 16, 1922.

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Tiroivras asTBnnY, new BEDFFORD, i/rassAcnUsETTs, ASSIGNOB To Jenn DEXTER, or new BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

UONDENSER-AJPRON BUBRICA'IOR.

LdMEEiSD Application filed June 3,

' residing? at New Bcdtord county of Bristol. Q 9 .1 i

and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Condenser-Apron Lubricators, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to rub aprons used.

in connection with carding machines for imparting to a ribbon of fibres, a rounded or cylindrical form, and more particularly to means for lubricating the rub aprons.

Tn machines of this general type, the rib bons of fibres are subjected to a rolling or rubbing action bet-ween aprons usually formed of leather or the like. The aprons are given an advancing movement in unison to advance the ribbons of fibres, and simultaneously therewith the aprons have imparted thereto, a reciprocating transverse movement in short paths so that as the ribbons of fibres pass between the aprons, they are caught and formed into a cylindrical shape.

During treatment, the [ibrcs will absorb to a more or less degree, the oily or lubricant matter contained in the aprons, the surface of which soon becomes dry and smooth or glazed, with the result that they tail to perform their condenser functions. Under those conditions, it is necessary to apply an oily or lubricating: substance to the surface of the aprons, but ditliculty has been ere perienced heretofore in keeping the aprons properly lubricated, for it too much oil is provided. the color of the fibres being treated will le affected and the fibres will tend to adhere to the apron, while it too little oil is provided, the slivers or rovings will not be properly formed.

in the copending application of John Dexter, Serial No. 369,833 filed March 30, 1920, means is disclosed for automatically supplying; the desired amount of oil or lubricant to the rub aprons. This means includes lubricant distributor or wick that extends across an apron and contacts therewith to conduct the oil or lubricant from a source of supply to the apron, and also means for regulating the amount of lubricant that is conducted to the apron by the wiclr. By means of the construction disclosed in the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May re, rose.

1921. Serial No. 474,828.

Dexter application, the lubricant supplied to the aprons may be controlled to a. nicety, but it is found that there is a tendency of the lint and the dirt and dust that falls upon the aprons to be conducted to the wick and to accumulate at the apron engaging end of the wick. This is objectionable because the lint and other foreign matter that accumulates upon the. wick, escapes from time to time in the form of oily lumps or particles of matter which are conveyed by the apron to the slivers or rovings in which they lodge and form objectional spots, lumps or discolorations.

An important feature of the present invention there-fore, consists in providing apron oiling means which will not form these oily lumps or particles of matter that may find their way into the slivers or rovings.

Another important feature of the invention consists in providing mechanismthat is simple in construction and satist'act'ory in operation, for automatically supplying the desired amount of lubricant to rub aprons.

(Ether features of the invention and novel combinations of parts will be hereinafter described in addition to the above, and in connection with the accompanying drawing which shows one good, practical form of the invention, wherein; i

Figure l is a perspective view showing the apron condenser with the present invention associated therewith;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the apron lubricating mechanism,

7 Fig. is a vertical sectional view of the mechanism shown in Fig- 2;

Fig. i is a longitudinal sectional view throu h the lubricating device; and

Fig. 5 is fragmentary sectional view of parts to be described.

The invention may be advantageously ap plied to any of the rub aprons employed in connection with carding machines for forming ribbons of fibre into cylindrical form or into what is technically known as slivers or rovings. In the present instance, it is shown as applied to the rub aprons connected with a condenser and it will be convenient to describe it in that connection, with the understanding that it may beadvantageously employed in connection with any of the rub aprons used to form ribbons of fibres into cylindrical form.

The condenser frame may be of any suitable character for supporting the operating parts, and in the present instance of the invention, comprises the side frames 1 which are connected. by the cross tie 2, one or more of which may be employed, as the circumstances dictate. Supported by the condenser frame, in the present instance, are shown two rub aprons which are mounted upon suitable rolls driven. as usual, to impart to the aprons a-n advancing or feeding movement. At one end of the rub apron supporting and operating rolls, means are provided for giving the aprons a reciprocating movement transversely to their feeding movement, the construction being such that the fibres delivered to the aprons from the carding machine may be properly rolled into cylindrical form. Referring more particularly to the construc tion as herein illustrated, the upper pair of aprons 3 and 4, are mounted upon rolls 5 and 6 which extend transversely of the frame and are journalled in suitable bearings 7, so that the contiguous surface of the upper and lower aprons may be sufficiently close to impart to the fibres the feeding and rolling movements. rolls 5 and 6 are the tooth wheels or gears 8 which may be driven from a suitable source of power to impart to the aprons 3 and 4; their feeding movements, as usual.

In addition to the support of the rolls 5 and 6, the aprons 3 and t pass around the rolls 9 and 10 which are carried in bearing blocks 11. mounted for adjustment toward and from the bearings 7 to properly adjust the tension of the aprons. The construc tion thus far described may be of the usual character in. this class of machines, or may be varied to suit conditions of use.

Below the upper pair of aprons 3 and 4 are the lower condenser aprons 12 and 13, which are mounted upon the rolls 14 and 15 in a manner similar to the upper pair of aprons and the lower pair of aprons may be driven as usual, through the gears or pinions 16. The construction and arrangement of the upper and lower pairs of aprons are similar, or may be, and the description of the upper pair of aprons as herein recited, may be applied with equal force to the lower pair of aprons.

The pair of rub apron supporting rolls 5 and 9 have their other ends supported in a frame 17 which is given a reciprocating movement transversely of the machine by any suitable means. In the present instance, the frame. 17 is given its reciprocating movement from the eccentric 18 mounted on operating shaft 19. The remaining pairs of rub apron supporting rolls may be similarly supported and reciprocated, the construction being such that the aprons will be given their feeding movement through their respective rolls 5, 6, 14 and 15 and their lateral reciprocating movement by the reciprocating frames 17. The parts thus far On the ends of the.

described may be of usual construction, and need no further elucidation. The ribbons of fibres 20 enter between the associated pairs of aprons and, owing to the feeding and lateral reciprocating movements of the apr ms, the ribbons oi. the aprons in the form of slivers or rovings 20.

its hereinbefore pointed out, where the rub apron system is employed for treating fibres, the surface of the aprons soon become dry and smoothed or glazed so that the aprons will not properly do their work. lit therefore becomes necessary to oil or lubricate the aprons, but if the oil or lubricant is manually applied to the aprons, as has been customary heretofore, the slivers 131 0. duced by the aprons will not be uniform in character from start to finish as the slivers first produced after lubricating the aprons are likely to be discolored by the lubricant while the slivers produced after the aprons have become more or less glazed will not be properly formed.

The present invention therefore contemplates the provision of means for obviating this progressively defective condition of the slivers or rovings by supplying to the apron. automatically and continuously during the rubbing operation, a suitable amount of lubricant.

In the present instance the lubricant-supplying n'ieans consists of a trough. 21 supported transversely of and in spaced rela tion to the apron to be lubricated. The trougl': 21 may be formed with downwardly converging sides 22 and 23 and may have a. slot 24 through which a wick 25 or other flexible lubricant distributor may project.

Within the trough may be placed waste 26 orotner lubricant absorbing material and the top of the trough is preferably provided with a screen covert through which the oil or lubricant may be poured to replenish he supply thereof in the trough; The trough 21 may be conveniently supported in spaced relation to the traveling apron by brackets 28 secured to t e condenser frame at the ends of the trough, and these brackets preferably have upwardly extending ends Z8 which are slotted to receive the bars 29 secured in an upright position upon the ends of the trough, The arrangement is such that the bars may be readily inserted in the slotted ends 28 of the brackets and the trough may be adjusted up or down by the bolts 3 engaging lugs 31 upon the bars 29.

in the present invention, the wick or distributor 25 does not engage the traveling apron, because if the wick contacts with the apron it causes the particles of lint and other foreign matter upon the apron to accumulate at this point of contact, which is undesirable as these particles from time to nbres emerge flOIlT time escape in the forni'of oily lumps which are carried by the aprons to the slivers. But the lubricant is conducted from the "wick 25 to the apron by a roller 32 extending across the apron in contact therewith so that it rotates with the apron at the same surface speed. As the roller 32 rotates, it wipes against the wick and conducts the oil or lubricant from the wick to the apron. The roller 82 is preferably floatingly mounted by means of 'trunnions at its ends that are received in slots 34 conveniently formed in the downwardly projecting ends of the bars 29. The arrangement is such that the bar 32 rests upon the traveling apron but is retained in place by the lower ends of the bars 29, the leather washers are preferably provided between the ends of the roller and the bars 29 to act as a cushion between these elements as the apron upon which the roller rests is reciprocat'ed laterally.

It is desirable to provide means for regulating the amount of lubricant conveyed to the roller 32 by the wick 25. A simple and satisfactory means to this end consists in so constructing the slot 24: that the opening for the Wick may be varied. This may be ac complished by providing an angle iron 36 upon one side of the trough adjacent the slot 24. and a second angle iron 37 upon the other side of the trough. At spaced intervals along the angle iron 3'? screws 38 are provided having their inner ends resting against the flexible end of the side wall 23, the ar rangement being such that the screws 38 may be adjusted to force the lower end of. the wall 23 into pinchingengagement with the wick 24.

The roller 32 preferably should have a hardsmo'oth, peripheral surface of such a character that the lint and other foreign matter upon the apron will not adhere to the roller. Furthermore, the roller should not absorb or become soaked with the lubricant, because, since the roller rests upon an apron when the latter is not in motion, port-ant that the portion of the apron upon which the idle roller rests, should not become encessively oiled. A roller formed of brass admirably meets the above requirements, although other materials obviously may be used.

The roller 32 which is floatingly mounted and rests upon a traveling apron, will rise and fall more or less as the apron 3 advances, and it is desirable that the wick 25 be arranged to co-operate with the roller 32 so that the amount of lubricant supplied to the roller will not be disturbed by the rising and falling of the roller. To this end, in the present instance, the wick 25 is constructed to extend from the receptacle 21 in the form of a. strip or wide tongue, and is disposed so that the under face of the tongue or strip it is 1111 contacts with the periphery of the roller and extends substantially tangentially thereto, the arrangement being such that the wick simply bends slightly transversely as the roller rises and falls.

The above described mechanism for lubricating an apron is simple in construction and consists of but few parts. The amount of lubricant supply to the roller by the wick may be readily controlled by adjusting the screws 38, but willnot vary with the amount or lubricant within the trough so long as some lubricant remains therein, and the supply of lubricant within the trough may be readily replenished by pouring lubricant through the screen cover.

I A very desirable feature of the present invention resides in the fact that lubricant will be conveyed to the apron only while the ma chine is running, for unless the roller is rotated it will not convey lubricant from the wick to the apron.

It is necessary to supply but one lubricating device for each pair of lubricating aprons since suflicient lubricant will be imparted to one of the cooperating aprons from the other.

What is claimed is:

1. In a condenser, the combination of condenser aprons, a roller mounted to rest upon one of the aprons, a lubricant trough extending transversely of the aprons and having a. contracted outlet, and lubricating wick extending through the contracted outlet of the lubricant trough and resting against the surface of the roller for transferring a film of, lubricant from the lubricant trough through the exposed portion of the wick to the sur face of the roller.

2. In a condenser,- the combination of the machine frame, condenser aprons supported by the frame for condensing movements, a roller mounted above and to rest upon one of the aprons, a lubricant trough connected to the condenser frame and supported in position transversely above the aprons and roller, contracted outlet extended from the lower portion of the lubricant trough and substantially throughout the width of the aprons, and wick substantially co-extensive with the length of and extending from the contracted outlet transversely of the aprons and having an unconfined portion resting upon the surface of the roller for applying to the apron through the roller 21 film of lubricant.

In a condenser. the combination of condenser aprons, a roller mounted to rest floatingly upon one of the aprons to be rotated thereby, a lubricant. trou 'h extending trans versely of the apron and having a contracted outlet extending substantially throughout the width of the apron, a lubricant wick 6X- tending through said outlet and projecting therefrom into contact with said roller to deliver a film oi? oi]. thereto for a jiplication to the apron from the roller.

4;. In a condenser, the combination of condenser aprons, a roller disposed transversely of one of the aprons and having a smooth, non-porous peripheral surface engaging the apron and. rotated thereby, a lubricant trough extending transversely of the apron, and a lubricant wick extending from said trough into contact with the roller to deliver a film of oil thereto for application to the apron.

5. In a condenser, the combination of condenser aprons, a roller disposed transversely of one of the aprons in position to engage the apron and be rotated thereby and having a peripheral surface harder and smoother than the apron, that lint and other foreign matter upon the apron will not adhere to the roller, and lubricant supply means supported in posit-ion to be wiped by the periphery of said roller to convey a film of oil from the lubricant means to the apron.

6. In a condenser, the combination of a machine frame, condenser aprons supported by the frame, a lubricant trough supported by the frame transversely of one of the condenser aprons, a floating roller contacting with the apron for rotation thereby, and a lubricant wick extending lengthwise of the trough and projecting outwardly from the trough towards the roller at an angle sub stantially tangent to the periphery of the roller to deliver a film of oil thereto throughout the floating movement of the roller.

7. In a condenser, the combination of condenser aprons, a roller disposed transversely of one of the aprons to rest thereupon and having a peripheral surface smoother than the surface of the apron it engages so thatlint and other foreign matter upon the apron will not adhere to the roller, a lubricant trough support adjacent the roller, and a flexible wick extending outwardly from the trough into contact with the surface of the roller to deliver a film of oil thereto.

8. In a condenser, the combination of condenser aprons, a roller mounted to rest upon one of the aprons, a lubricant trough extending transversely of the apron and supported spaced from the roller, a screen cover ing for said trough through which oil may be poured into the trough, and a flexible \virlr extending outwardly from the trough into contact with the roller to deliver a film of oil thereto.

9. In a condenser, the combination of condenser aprons, a roller mounted to rest floatingly upon one of the aprons to be rotated thereby, a lubricant trough extending transversely of the apron and supported spaced from. the roller, a wick extending outwardly from the trough into contact with the roller to deliver a film of oil thereto, and means co-operating with a portion of the wick out of contact with the roller to regulate the amount of oil conducted by the wick to the roller.

10. A lubricant device for supplying oil to a traveling web, comprising, in combination, a roller mounted to rest upon said web for rotation thereby, a lubricant trough supported adj acent said roller and having a wick extending from the trough into contact with the periphery of the roller to deliver oil thereto, and means for pinching: the wick to thereby regulate the amount of oil delivered. to the roller by the wick.

11. A lubricant device, comprising in combination, a lubricant trough containing oilabsorbing material and having a longitudinally-extending slot leading from the trough, a roller rotatably supported adjacent the trough, an oil wick within said slot and eX- tending therefrom into contact with the roller to deliver oil thereto, and adjustable means for pinching the wick to thereby regulate the amount of oil delivered to the roller by the wick.

1a. A lubricant device, comprising, in combination, a roller rotatably supported, a lubricant trough mounted adjacent the roller for applying lubricant thereto and having a slot extending in a direction longitudinally of the lubricant containing trough, a wick interposed between the trough and the roller and entering the longitudinally extending slot of the trough, and adjusting means to act upon the wick and pinch or compress the wick more or less to regulate the amount of lubricant that is delivered by the wick to the roller.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

THOMAS AS'IBURY. 

